Is individual turnout good or bad -discuss!

I'm a bit undecided. I prefer turnout in pairs, for my sake, as I prefer not to go into a field with lots of horses. But in pairs I always feel what happens when one is taken away for hacking or is in for the night?

Munster lived alone for a good few months this year. Not completely alone, he had his sheep friends, but couldnt see another horse at all. He didnt care one iota, never fretted, never bothered. When he was turned out in a small herd of 2 others he changed. He was suddenly in a pecking order, and the alpha male would protect him from the other male (who is just a grump lol.. but a total sweetie). Thus he realised he wasnt as big as he thought he was, and started behaving like a pony instead of a hairy dog. ATM he's out with one other (the grumpy one), and doesnt have much to do with him.
so in all i think psychologically, from a 'pecking order' and 'herd instinct' point of view they're better with a small herd of 3 or 4. But individual turnout does no harm.
 
Don't like individual turnout. At our yard even the stallion has company (one of his pregnant mares). As long as there's enough space they soon establish a pecking order.
 
If mine have no hind shoes on, they're all in together, young and old, and i don't worry if they get up to high jinks.
If they've got hind shoes on, they're in solitary fields, with elec fencing between, so they can groom each other over it.
having had to stand and hold a friend's beloved horse for the vet to pts after i found him in the field with a broken leg, and been told by the huntsman who came to get him that it was a typical break from a kick with a metal shoe on, and he saw them all the time, i now NEVER turn them out together with hind shoes.
 
I have to say I have always had a huge problem when trying to turn horses out in pairs. Murphy used to get very attached to his friend to the point that he would try to stop you taking his friend away and got quite agressive so you had to bring them both in and then if the other horse went out Murphy would go nuts in his box. In a group of three plus he is fine or on his own he fine. Tarquin is quite clingy so I felt if I turned him out in pair he'd be the same.
Like I said in an ideal world I would never keep them seperate but in a world where people just don't understand that horse do play and get hurt then I would rather that he was on his own. At the riding school where I learnt to ride we had 40 mares and gelding out together with no problems and when I got Murphy he was kept in a group of 8 mares and geldings all shod with no problems. Having moved areas and livery yards this just doesn't seem possible any more.
 
I can see the case for both sides really. My old yard used to turn out in mixed sex groups and yes there were scraps, and my horse got a few scars to prove it, my current yard is awful she has been on her own in a small field with no adjasant company - i was not happy with this, she has become depressed and although not stressy i don't want her to suffer. So we are moving to another yard where she will be out alone but has company on 2 sides.
I think i prefered keeping her in a herd, i hated total individual turnout so did she, but i am watching this space as to how well having company (but not in the same field) goes.
 
I definitely prefer large mixed sex groups and think they work best for my horses. The only reason I would ever turn a horse or pony out in an individual paddock would be if I had a horse that was a bully or displayed anti-social behaviour, a competition horse worth loads of money or something that needed to be separate for medical reasons and even then I would insist on them being able to see and touch other horses.
 
I prefer to keep things as natural as possible (within reason) so prefer group turnout...which I do with my three. Three's a great number as I can take one out and the others are still fine.
But I do understand that some horses are better turned out individually...and had to do that myself with one of my three after colic surgery.
S
smile.gif
 
Ours are turned out all togeather 24/7, all 9 geldings. I happens that this is easier for us as we need them to keep the grass down and we would have to make the field much smaller if not. The team can't stand being away from each other for even a few seconds, but this is OK as it does not cause nappyness as they are always together. Pip and Ginga are also very, but not so close. We don't have problems getting out the gate as they are all easy going. Before we use to have a mare's field, geldings field and a fatty/injured field which worked ok. Personally I don't like individual turn-out, especialy if they can't see another horse, but neither do I like horses kept in most of the time, but for most people its all they can manage and the horses survive so thats fine for them.
 
I am a fence-sitter on this! I like small group turnout for my horses and have never had individual turnout until now, howver, I hve to say Spring has never been so well behaved since being on individual turnout. She can be very clingy and a pain to bring in especially when out with a group of like minded mares! So for Spring I won't go back to group turnout or even pairs turnout, she can groom at least 2 horses over the fences so isn't deprived of equine contact but I know she won't get kicked/kick anything and she is much more relaxed - especially as she is very much a dominant mare and used to spend a lot of her time keeping all the others in line!

So for most horses small group turnout (up to 5), but for Spring, individual every time!
 
I think it depends on the situation and circumstances.

For my horses I don't like individual TO. The pony would go mad if he was out on his own as he's quite stressy so I like him out in a group (4-6 horses). He's happy like that and when I looked for loan homes I made sure the people taking him were going to be turning him out in a group. The new girl is out with one other and that suits her. I think she will be ok with another one or two but have to be careful as she's a dominant mare so the others need to be fairly submissive.

I can see why some people like it and I think if you have a super expensive horse that you want to wrap in cotton wool then fine. On the whole I think horses are herd animals and are designed to live together in groups. I know people say they can touch others over the fence but it's not the same as being able to groom properly, have a good hoon around with their mates - but then I guess this is the exact reason some people prefer them out alone.
 
My 2 are split up by electric fencing.
One needs to be kept on restricted grazing, the other doesn't.
I'm also fed up with the scrapping/power struggle fights between them and then the subsequent lameness/wounds from kicks. It's easier, safer and ultimately cheaper this way for them. They still groom each other over the fence, then they're likely to start scrapping again... They are fond of each other in a funny kind of way, but very much like having 2 squabbling children. The biggest fight of all every time they're in together is over who is coming in first to their stable and "tea".
 
well, I was always of the mindset that a herd or 2 horses together was best - but yesterday, after calling the vet out to my ned that had gotten savagely attacked by his new field mate (had them seperated for a week with elec tape - they got on fine, took tape down, grazing together, nothing all day yesterday then the other one just went bonkers for no apparent reason) I just can't risk that again. If my horse hadn't had his rug on he would of been ripped to shreds and was practically run into the ground.

no riding for me for a good long time as he is covered in bites and kicks. Individual turnout from now on.........
 
I'm another whose pet hate it is to see horses on their own as a permanent living arrangement. Horses are social herd animals and not designed to live alone.

I do, however, understand why people do if they have antisocial animals, but also feel that this has usually been caused at some point in said animals life through bad or lack of proper herd socialisation as youngsters. Obviously often not the current owners fault, so sometimes individual turnout is necessary.

I do agree with someone else's comment (sorry can't remember who) in that I would prefer to see individual turnout, than no turnout at all.

And yes I have lost a horse in a field accident out with others, but I would still risk it every day of the week and I feel it is much healthier for the sanity of the horse.

Mind you, not sure where everyone keeps their horses to get so anti livery yards and larger groups! We have 28 on our DIY livery yard, all live pretty happily in single sex groups of between four and five and rarely do we have even bites or scratces, let alone serious injuries. There is a reasonably regular turn over of one or two new horses and everyone is kept informed of where and when the new horse is going. We do have three who live alone (surrounded by others), one a laminitic pony, one a show arab (that's can't possibly be integrated with the commoners!!
wink.gif
) and one a youngster who was cut last year and has shown to be a bit over zealous in his interactions with others, but will hopefully be intergrated at some point in the future.

Interestingly the two youngsters kept on their own have shown some very undesirable bad behaviour which I feel is pure frustration at being on their own with no interaction with their own species.

Its not something I have to worry about anyway, as my mare WOULD NOT entertain living on her own and would make damn sure she didn't!!
grin.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top